THE MACANDREW-VOGEL CONTROVERSY. TO THE EDITOR.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 4445, 18 May 1876, Page 3

THE MACANDREW-VOGEL CONTROVERSY. TO THE EDITOR.

Sni —la the days of my youth and innocence I thought it was iuipua&iblo to get more llian enough oE sweets aud forbiddea daiutic3. Ala 3! experience bj -aud-byo taught mo that it was possiblu to got too muuh even of a good thing. 1 fhink wo have all hut arrived at the above ctago in the Macandrew-cum-Vogcl controversy. As far as any further instiuo tion. is vow to be had from thu coullict tho combatants might as well go together iuto an empty room, each armed with half a, doz-.,n ink battles, and do to one another as Luther it said to have done to tho Devil.

I may at once admit, Mr EJicor, that I am a strong; Abolitionist, and would be so were Sir Julius Vogcl at Hong Kong. I have not much faith in Vogei aa a man, and therefore it is not on his account I am tempted to write, nor, in going over any of the points raised in the Superintendent's letter, am I to be supposed as at all lighting for the Premier; and I think it is a yiiy that personal references should slido into suci a controversy. Tliesa reference 3 may be ju?t or otherwise. For example, Sir Julius may have do'ue even worse than anything which His Honour is supposed to have done ira the proposed sile of laiuls, &c, but that does not ail'ect the real question at issue in the least degree. I entirely object to His Honour's opinion that the people in Otago who accord with the Premier—in plain words Abolitionists — are few in number. It is true that Provincialists are to all appearances iv tho majority ; but if that constitutes them the people of Otigo, mutatis mutandis, the people of the Colony of New Zcalaud are Abolitionists, and of course the people must be allowed to act for themselves in a, matter such »3 that at issue—thankful, of course, for all suggestions that His Honour or anyone else can throw ou'u. If, ho.vever, His Honour objects to having it said that the AbolitionUta are the people of New Zealand, theD, in tuvu, we object to his calling the Provincialists the people of Otago.

I don't know that there are any seers here, hence is is impcs'ible to compare the Province now with what it will be under Abolition. It might be possible to compare what it is now with ichat- it may pnss.bly be, but nob wiih what it will bo—hence on this ground it is impossible to decide on a "political platform." Thora are many people in this Province who do not know how the Executive can justify their proposed alienation of the large blocks of land about which there has been so much discussion. The pretexts put forward are all feb aside in view cf the plain tactstarirg them in the face that there has bot-n a strange haste in pushing so much land into the market white tho Provincial system is in. its last throes. Like a dying Samson, it tried, but happily in vain, to crown its life work by a mighty action in its death. As I apprehend i% the law in reference to 10d an acre for land, in certain circumstances, was, at the time of the making of Iho said law, believed to be its value ; but the law laid no restrictions npen raising the price of such land if it was thought advisable, and the pyiat is not—Did the Executive put up the land for the smallest possible sum? but did they put it up to tae best advantage ? This ia denkd. It is sin.ply wasting timo to speak of reporls ooiicuniing Litei ference with the Waste Lauds Board on the pa<-fc of the General Government. I have made enquuy, and I find n.i one who has ever heard of or even imagined any such interference. 1 for one entirely demur to the statement that tbe people of Otago arc content to pay much more than the large sum named for their local Parliament. Wry many of us will, if possible, not have it at iiiy price. The fact is, one might go ovar aul find fault with the greater part; of His Honour's reply. For myself, I merely rsfer to it be cause silence might be construed to mean consent. I also refer to it, believing as I do, thrtt it in time the miserable controversy was at an end, for it cannot possibly benefit in any way any mortal man. i I would beg to throw out by way of sugI gestion, for the credit of our Province, that iiis Honour, with the Executive and Provincial, Solicitor at his back,,should be more cartful in the construction of his seutcuces. In speaking about tho Provincial Council aud General Assembly, and their respective policies towards their re.-spootive Executives, Abolitionists willj be disposed to understand His Honour's assertions in oneway, and Provincialists will be diap'.'iei to understand them in quite a different way. Xi ally, in reg&ul tt> ihe possibility of the comiug winter beitg oik; of gro;>.t haidfcliip to Wi"'rki;,f» men, a \t.\t>v (jr.cnthtn ari-ts — j viz., Why 'have mi uuinv p.ujiL k cv ru.shou into >.ht.- iVo'.ia^ !■■:'• ■■;; ft 'a:i-:. iibl.; iv a iv;,™,,! \>;u\ to ■!■•-<::!. 1: >;:.. ? it L:^ always i-.ppi-.r'jci to mi; lil.-i. •!. r '. .i. i';:;v.v. L;v'i ■••••M ot a tmih iv ii'is'.vK^-ti •::. -Hi■-u^h lie at tiiiivi ::r",-;Uji übtorLr <..•■! : -.. •■■.